SedALp – Sediment management in Alpine basins [SedAlp – Sedimentmanagement in alpinen Einzugsgebieten]

The primary goal of SedAlp is to contribute to the integrated management of sediment transport in Alpine basins, which involves effectively reducing sediment-related risks, promoting the enhancement of riverine ecosystems and reducing the impacts of hydropower plants, while balancing the implementation of EU Directives and national laws (e.g. RES, WFD, NGP etc.). The project includes 34 pilot measures undertaken in various representative Alpine river basins of all countries involved and contributes in particular to the use of sediment and wood transfer monitoring in a large set of Alpine catchments, an approach that can help us to better understand the spatial and temporal variability of processes and to provide planning, predictive and warning tools, as well as sediment and wood management recommendations to minimize risks. The project covers the development of both strategic policy and implementation actions to improve sediment continuity in Alpine river basins. In doing so, SedAlp takes into account the geological and climatic variability across the Alps, which can produce complex patterns of sediment transfer, while also identifying those management conflicts shared by different regions. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Wien.